Pirates of the Caribbean: The Amulet Of Atlantis Chapter 13: The Scroll Of Lost Souls, a pirates of the caribbean fanfic

A/N: This will be the last update for a while, so I decided to give you the next two chapters to keep you satisfied. Not that I won't have time to write (I most certainly will), but I've come up with an idea on how to promote the next installment in the series and it involves wrapping this one up ASAP. I won't say anything else about that just yet, only expect the rest of the story probably around late May. Hope you enjoy the updates.

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Chapter 11

At the top of the mountain, the hovercrafts slowly touched back down onto the ground, where their occupants swiftly jumped out and onto solid earth again.

The congregation of pirates turned to see a stream of blue lanterns lining a pathway that led to the entrance of the vast fortress ahead of them. The castle was brightly lit from the inside, the faint sounds of music and talking combining in the air so that the Pearl crew could faintly hear it. The castle was constructed of stone, each tower stretching high into the air, the tips of each sporting either torn flags or golden orbs. It was truly a sight to behold, but Jack willed himself to tear his eyes away long enough so that he could converse quickly with Tia Dalma.

"So, do you have any idea where the scroll is inside this castle?"

Tia Dalma nodded her head. "The scroll is located down in a dungeon, on the lower level."

"Ah, of course. Where else would it be?" Jack sized up the castle in an instant. "I certainly hope that the security in those dungeons is considerably lax, otherwise we'll have a difficult time accomplishing our goal. Now, how do we get inside?"

"I told you, Jack. We must disguise ourselves as members of Atlantis. We can't look too conspicuous."

"I bet they're just handing out the proper attire at the front door, are they?" Jack drawled sarcastically.

Tia Dalma merely pointed toward the castle doors, where people were entering seemingly out of nowhere. These people all sported unique-looking clothing. "We just have to steal some."

"Oh," was the only response Jack could think of.

Then, as stealthily as cats, everyone dashed into the shadows and ran to the side of the castle. Once there, Jack peeked conspiratorially around the corner. He spied groups of people entering the fortress through the open main doors in groups as large as four at a time. The clothes they wore were nowhere near as lavish as the fancy party outfits worn by the higher class of this time period, on the contrary, these were surprisingly simple. Gray pieces of cloth large enough to cover the majority of your chest acted as shirts; for women, there was no back, simply strings that tied around their necks, holding the front up. The bottom consisted of more plain cloth pieces; on the men, the cloths reached to just below the knees, hover for the women, the cloths cut off inches above the knee, obviously more like a short skirt. Embedded in everyone's clothes, though, were different multicolored gems and diamonds that shone even under the cloudy and dull sky.

Jack turned back to face his crewmates. "Alright, Will, Elizabeth, Tia Dalma and I will sneak inside and steal the scroll. The rest of you will stay here and watch for trouble."

"Aye, Cap'n," Gibbs said.

Jack looked at Will. "Come with me, and do what I do. Savvy?"

Minutes later, Will and Jack had stepped in front of the main door. Soon later, a group of four people, two male and two female, had arrived. They all eyed Jack and Will curiously, trying to surmise why these two strange-looking people were blocking the doorway. One of the men opened his mouth to say something, but Jack stopped him.

"The pleasure's all ours, mates."

Then, without warning, Jack and Will jumped forward and banged both sets of heads together. Next, they each dragged the unconscious bodies away to the side.

"Sneaking into a ball filled with reincarnated beings. This is definitely a first," Jack commented as everyone stared down at the bodies. Quite suddenly, Jack clapped his hands and rubbed them together expectantly before glancing over at Elizabeth. "Well, ladies first. And don't worry, we'll give you some privacy." Elizabeth rolled her eyes as Will dragged Jack away in order to make sure that the pirate stayed true to his word; everybody else followed suit.

Ten minutes later, the four who were entering the castle had changed into the proper attire. Jack and Will's clothes fit perfectly while allowing them to show off their muscular figures. Tia Dalma's outfit somehow made her look even more loonier, and Elizabeth's made her look even more beautiful than usual: a tight fit that accentuated her features greatly. All of their clothes were with the other crew members.

Jack motioned to the open double doors. "Shall we?"

The group eyed the entrance with just a trace of caution. Then, as one, they all climbed the three stone steps and entered the castle.

The inside of the vast fortress caused Jack's, Will's, and Elizabeth's jaws to drop in amazement; Tia Dalma did not seem surprised at all. The walls were gloriously decorated with drapes of gold and the deepest blue. Torches lined along the walls brilliantly lit the main chamber, which was a lavish and enormous space. A huge chandelier hung from the center of the ceiling, changing colors every five to ten seconds. Bodies of mingling humans packed nearly every square inch of the floor, talking animatedly with one another. Everyone wore the exact same gray clothing, though, even the people dispersing dark green drinks on trays; these people were successfully able to snake their way through everyone else. At the other end of the main chamber was an elevated stage, on which sat three thrones; the one in the middle was tallest.

Making sure to keep their faces distinctly low, the four intruders began to work their way through the crowd. Along the way, Jack spoke with Tia Dalma.

"So what exactly is the purpose behind this...formal get-together?"

"When Atlantis was destroyed, the King's daughter was in the midst of being crowned Princess officially...so think of this as a delayed coronation."

Jack nodded in understanding as he began to take in his surrounding features. "Well, one thing's for certain; these Atlantis people sure know how to hold a soiree."

Just then, a maitre' d brushed past them, expertly balancing a tray of green drinks; Jack immediately grabbed one. He grinned at the others. "Who says I can't indulge in simple pleasures?"

Meanwhile, Will started to scan the chamber for any indication of a doorway that led to the lower level dungeons. However, his progress was impeded by countless bodies inhabiting the space. And as a result, Will collided with someone else; when Will looked to see who it was, he was met with the sight of a beautiful, more younger girl with elaborate and shiny symbols painted on her face. Her flowing blonde hair trailed behind her and she wore a dress just a cut above what everyone else wore. Beside her was a tall, older man with a stoic face; this was clearly the young girl's father.

"Sorry," the girl muttered sheepishly. She appeared to be in her early twenties.

"No, it was my fault," replied Will.

The girl gave Will a curious expression. "I'm afraid I don't recognize you. Do you live in our colony?"

"Colony?" Will repeated, looking slightly perplexed.

"You know...Atlantis."

Will glanced at Tia Dalma, uncertain of what to say. The fortuneteller inconspicuously nodded her head, silently telling Will to play along with the charade.

"Er...yes. But...you might not have seen me around much."

"Well, I'm certain that you are familiar with my identity. Princess Kima Kidaslashah. And this is my father, King Numa Kadaslashah."

Will did not expect to have his hand shaken by the supposedly deceased King of Atlantis, however he did. Soon after that, Elizabeth stepped up to Will's side.

"Oh, uh, may I introduce myself. I'm Will Turner, and this is my wife, Elizabeth."

Following suit, Elizabeth and Kima shook hands.

"Well, I'd love to stay and talk, but we have a coronation to carry on with," Kima said. "Strictly speaking, I'm not Princess yet. But I will be in a few moments."

And with that, Kima and her father set off toward the thrones that sat on the stage. When they had gone, Will turned to Tia Dalma, but she answered the question brewing inside his mind before he could spit it out.

"Whenever the Island of the Mists reappears, these reincarnated souls must go through the actions of this coronation."

Jack snorted. "If that's not repetitive, then I don't know what is." He eyed the two figures of royalty that were standing on the stage. "We're going to need a distraction."

"Like this whole affair won't be distraction enough?" Elizabeth asked.

"Not by my standards." Jack smiled at Elizabeth. "And thanks for volunteering, luv."

Elizabeth's eyes widened. "What?" she hissed.

"Well, the way I see it, I'll have to be the one that has to steal the Scroll. Tia Dalma will have to guide the way, and Will can act as the lookout."

"And where does that leave me?" Elizabeth queried sternly.

Jack grinned roguishly. "Like I said, you'll have to create a distraction. One that'll attract the attention of everyone else inside this room." Jack paused for a moment to think. "As a matter of fact, you should make it a disruption of some sort...much more interesting."

"You're insane," Elizabeth muttered harshly.

"If I wasn't, this would probably never work." Jack then sipped the drink in his hands and smacked his lips. "Not so bad. What is this stuff?"

Tia Dalma gave him a grim smile. "You don't want to know."

"Ah." Jack disregarded the rest of the drink by simply tossing it to the ground. The noise of shattering glass attracted the attention of many people surrounding him, and Jack pointed his finger in Elizabeth's direction without hesitation. "She did that. That's what she thinks of this whole coronation, and that kind of insubordination has consequences, am I right? I believe she's just jealous she's not being crowned Princess herself...as a matter of fact, she just called Her Highness insane."

Elizabeth glared daggers at Jack, overcome with mute anger. "You...you..."

"Pirate? Guilty as charged, luv." Jack began to address the crowd once more. "I say we teach this woman some respect!"

Quite suddenly, many pairs of hands had grabbed Elizabeth and were tying her hands and feet together. Shouts of, "Take her before the King!" soon filled the air, and Elizabeth was dragged away while she fought against it.

Will grabbed Jack. "What if they hurt her? Are you mad?!"

"I've been told so. After we get the scroll, I promise we'll come back for Lizzie right away."

Will released Jack, gave a longing glance in Elizabeth's direction, and rather begrudgingly accompanied Jack and Tia Dalma toward the entrance to the dungeon. "If anything happens to Elizabeth, I'm holding you personally responsible," Will whispered threateningly in Jack's ear.

"Don't worry, mate. Elizabeth is a tough woman, she'll be able to take care of herself."

Before they descended down to the lower level, Jack spotted a tray of drinks laying on a nearby wooden table. An idea suddenly formulated inside Jack's mind, and he picked the tray up. Next, they all started to enter the dungeons, the stone halls of which were lighted by torches lining the walls. Jack, Will, and Tia Dalma navigated their way through the hallways without much trouble, not encountering any guards until they reached the place where the scroll was believed to be. One lone guard clutching a lengthy spear was standing in front of a closed door, his features so rigid it was almost as if he were a statue.

From around the corner, Jack assessed the situation. He turned back to face his comrades. "Leave this to me." With that said, Jack raised the tray of drinks in one hand and began to walk slowly toward the guard. When he was close enough, Jack partook in feigning a coughing fit. He reached the guard, who now had an expression of concern combined with disgust on his face. As Jack continued to cough, he motioned for the guard to relieve him of the drink tray, and the guard obliged. Soon after, Jack stopped fake-coughing and cleared his throat, looking up at the guard.

"Thank you."

Suddenly, Jack balled up his fist and landed a swift punch to the guard's face, who went down like a sack of potatoes. The moment his job was completed, Jack gave the signal to Will and Tia Dalma to join him.

"Now, you stay here and guard the door while we enter and get what we came here for," he told Will.

Will said nothing, just scooped up the spear and shoved the unconscious guard away from him with his feet.

Meanwhile, Jack and Tia Dalma carefully eased the closed wooden door protecting the Scroll of Lost Souls open and entered. Behind the door, they were met with a sight that rooted them to the ground. What was in front of them completely contradicted everything else on the other side; the room was not a room at all, rather a lavish main space like that in a cave. The spit of stone floor that Jack and Tia Dalma stood on abruptly ended a few feet in front of them, giving way to a miniature pool of water which seemed to reflect a brilliantly colored spectrum of colors that was invisible at the top of the cave. Separated evenly in a pathway to the next landmass, bits of stone shaped like ovals sat in the water. This was the only way to proceed, and Jack knew that.

Jack looked ahead to the next piece of land and spied a flight of stone steps, which led to a pillar, on which sat a withered piece of parchment that was rolled up. "Stay here," Jack said to Tia Dalma.

"Be advised that the instant each of those circular stone pads feels more weight upon it, it will begin to sink."

"Then how do I get back?"

"Let me worry about that."

Jack shrugged and edged his way cautiously toward the end of the stone pad he currently stood upon. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and leaped forward. Within three seconds, Jack's feet had touched solid material again. Jack opened his eyes and glanced around, heaving a great sigh of relief. But before he knew it, the pad was sinking down into the water with Jack still on it. Immediately, Jack jumped onto the next circle and the next one after that until he had finally reached his destination.

Jack turned around and observed what had been left in his wake. Where the stone pads had been only moments before, water now filled the empty space.

"Could things possibly get any more challenging?" he asked himself.

Jack then turned around to face the flight of stone steps that led to the Scroll of Lost Souls.

Back upstairs, Elizabeth had problems of her own. She had been hauled onto the stage, alongside the King and soon-to-be Princess of Atlantis. Both of them were staring at her with extremely serious expressions.

"Is it true that you harbor pugnacious thoughts concerning the coronation of my daughter?" the King asked sternly.

"Of course not!" Elizabeth protested.

"Then why were accusations made against you that suggested so?"

"I don't know!" Elizabeth lied, attempting to wriggle her hands free of the ropes that were holding them together.

"Do you wish to take my place?" queried Kima.

"No!"

"Then explain why you are up here, bound tightly due to the fact that we think you may commit an act of treason?"

"Treason? I'm not even a member of your colony!" Elizabeth realized too late what she had said, and instantly wished that she hadn't.

The King looked at Elizabeth in utter confusion. "You're not an inhabitant of Atlantis? Then what are you doing here?!"

"I...can't tell you."

The King then scanned the on-looking sea of faces. "Where are the people who were with you earlier?"

A feeling of intense panic rose up inside of Elizabeth as she desperately tried to create a reason on the spot "They uh..." Her mind drew a complete blank.

Impatient for an answer, the King glanced around the main chamber and his eyes fell upon the doorway which led down to the dungeons of the castle. His gaze darted back and forth between the doorway and Elizabeth until he understood at last.

"You came for the Scroll of Lost Souls, didn't you?" he asked in a deadly whisper. When Elizabeth did not reply, he shouted out in rage, "ANSWER ME!"

Elizabeth found that she could do nothing but merely nod her head. The instant she did, the King exhaled heavily and addressed a burly man in the front of the crowd.

"Form a contingent of about three men and follow me!" The King looked back at Elizabeth. "You'll come along." He roughly seized her arm and dragged her toward the dungeon doorway, four Atlantis soldiers trailing in their wake.

Will stood before the Scroll doorway alert, ready for anything that appeared as a threat. He grasped the spear tightly, ready to use it at a moment's notice. The sound of footsteps soon became audible from the left side of the passageway; Will adjusted his grip on the spear.

What appeared from around the corner immediately made Will's blood run cold. Elizabeth, hands still tied in front of her but her feet free, was being shoved ahead of a group comprised of five other people; one of them Will recognized as the King of Atlantis. The four other men all had spears clutched in their hands as well. When they reached Will, the King spoke in a cruel tone of voice.

"Where are your compatriots?"

Will said nothing, only stared at Elizabeth in genuine concern for her well-being. They locked eyes, Elizabeth sincerely apologizing with her expression.

"Move away from the door!"

"No," Will said calmly.

The four henchmen drew nearer, each of them raising their weapons menacingly.

"You dare defy me?" the King inquired.

"Yes."

"Take him. Now."

Jack finally reached the top of the stone steps and was rewarded with the sight of the Scroll of Lost Souls resting upon a stone slab under a ray of white light. Jack reached out almost tentatively, as if fearing the scroll would crumble to pieces upon the slightest touch. When his fingers made contact with the parchment, Jack cupped the scroll gingerly and carefully picked it up. He then unrolled it, making sure not to damage it in any way. The side that met his eyes contained a series of detailed and complex inscriptions and symbols that only a person familiar with the language Atlantian people used when writing could decipher. Jack flipped it over to see more markings, these part of a map that led to the Amulet of Atlantis. Jack could not help but smile triumphantly.

As he descended the stone steps, Jack glanced over at Tia Dalma. "I need a way to get back over there."

Without saying a word, Tia Dalma pulled something indiscernible to Jack out from her dread-locks and simply threw it down into the moat. For a few seconds, nothing happened. Only when the water began to froth violently did Jack become aware of a curious change occurring. The water bubbles soon died away, revealing a pathway cleared out for Jack so that he could cross effortlessly. Slowly, Jack stepped down into it and made his way through the clearing with no trouble at all.

Outside, Will was engaged in a battle with the four muscular soldiers. He was expertly using the spear to his advantage, deflecting each swing that was directed at him with great agility. Will twisted around in a circle while keeping his spear extended; the effect being each other spear was knocked away and onto the ground. The four guards now stood defenseless, but that did not stop them from attacking with their fists. The first lunged forward quickly, his arm raised and ready for a blow, but Will was too fast. He used the end of the spear to hit the soldier hard across the face, sending the brute reeling to the side. Will wasted no time in continuing the onslaught by swinging the spear, the wooden end, into his first opponent's stomach, which made the guard keel over in pain. To end it, Will brought his knee up hard into the warrior's face.

The second soldier attacked without hesitation. He raised his own spear above his head as he charged forward, but that was a foolish attempt on his part. Will simply placed his spear in the path of the soldier's legs so that when the muscular man made contact with it, he tripped and began to stumble toward the ground. However, Will was able to grab him by the back of his garments with both his hands and then swung him around with all his might, letting him go in the direction of the next guard; both were knocked unconscious upon immediate impact with the stone floor. When the remaining soldier came toward Will, Will raised the spear over his head sideways in a defense tactic and the two began to struggle. Finally able to summon forth enough strength, Will brought his knee up to meet his adversary's groin, and the moment the soldier bent over, Will landed a forceful blow to the side of his face. With all four soldiers now defeated, Will approached the King menacingly; the King now had his hand around Elizabeth's throat.

"Let her go," Will spat venomously.

"Once you hand over the scroll," the King replied in the same tone.

Just then, the door creaked open and Jack and Tia Dalma came into the scene. Jack's eyes darted between Will and the King.

"Well, this seems like quite a pickle."

The King noticed that Jack was carrying the Scroll of Lost Souls in his hand. "Give it to me," he intoned dangerously.

But before anyone could do anything, Elizabeth stepped down hard on the King's right foot, causing him to let her go. Elizabeth rushed over to Will, who quickly cut her bonds with the spear.

"Now you have no leverage," Jack told the King condescendingly. "If you please, it'd mean a great deal to us if you kindly stepped aside. After all, the odds are definitely not in your favor."

Out of pure rage, the King of Atlantis lunged forward, only to be hit over the head with the end of the spear in Will's hands.

"I think it's time for us to depart," Jack said.

No one seemed to have any objections to that, as they all dashed back toward the main chamber of the castle. But before they reached the staircase, Elizabeth halted in her tracks.

"Wait! We can't go back there! They'll recognize us!"

"Point well taken, luv. Now, Tia Dalma, is there another way out of here?"

Tia Dalma nodded. "Of course. Follow me." That being said, she dashed away to the left, down a more narrow passageway; everyone followed suit.

The passageway twisted and turned in many different ways and presented no problems whatsoever for the group of adventurers. That is, until they encountered something none of them expected to run into: a gaping hole in the floor. This hole was huge, and made direct passage to the end of the corridor next to impossible.

Jack carefully took in this encumbrance and simply stuffed the scroll down his shirt. He looked toward the others and shrugged.

"It's the only way."

Then, without warning, he backed up a few steps and vaulted toward the hole. The instant Jack reached the edge, he leaped several feet into the air, soaring over the empty space and miraculously landing safely on the opposite side. He turned and smiled.

"Come on, then."

Exhaling deeply and shaking his head, Will tossed the spear he was still holding aside and followed suit; like Jack, he landed on the other side, unhurt. Tia Dalma went next, with surprising skill and agility. Elizabeth was the only one left, and before she jumped, she took the time to calm her nerves. Finally, she bounded toward the hole and jumped high into the air, but her aim was slightly off. She came down a little too short, and immediately grabbed the edge of the floor to avoid plunging into the dark abyss below. Will instantly rushed to help Elizabeth up, grabbing both her hands firmly and pulling with all his might. Once Will managed to pull his wife to safety, they both toppled backward, landing on top of each other.

Will tenderly brushed a stray hair out of Elizabeth's eyes. "You alright?"

"Yes."

They both helped each other to their feet. Once they were back up, Tia Dalma addressed them.

"Our means of escape is up this tunnel," she pointed out a circular tunnel carved into the wall that was angled upward, one that led to salvation.

One by one, the group began to crawl up the tunnel that led outside.

Once free, Jack, Will, Elizabeth, and Tia Dalma changed back into their piratical attire. Jack still had the scroll in his hands.

"Time to go, I think."

They had not gotten far, however, when they heard the sound of numerous pistol hammers being cocked behind them in succession. Slowly, each person turned around to come vis-a-vis with Henry Morgan and his crew.

"Allow me to introduce myself," Morgan grunted. "Captain Henry Morgan. Now, I'd appreciate it immensely if you were to hand over the Scroll of Lost Souls. Otherwise," Morgan trained his pistol on Michael, "I kill the boy."